https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/prince-william-stops-charging-charities-thousands-of-pounds-rent-hvghvnz7d

The Duchy of Cornwall has now announced it will stop imposing the following rental charges:

• £600 a year from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for permission to use the prince’s beaches at Salcombe, Sennen Cove, the Lizard, Rock and St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.

• £15,000 from Devon county council over 50 years to allow Princetown fire station to operate on duchy land.

• Thousands of pounds a year from communities for permission to use village halls in Curry Mallet and Newton St Loe, allotments in Bradninch and a community orchard in Newquay used to help disadvantaged groups.

• £3,000 over 20 years from the Trinity House maritime charity for the right to operate the Bishop Rock lighthouse in the Isle of Scilly.

• Thousands of pounds a year from councils and schools so the public can use playing fields, rugby pitches and recreation grounds in Princetown, Corston, Clandown near Bath and Stoke-sub-Hamdon in Somerset.

• £125,000 over 25 years from the government for the use of the visitor centre and shop at Tintagel Castle, which fund the castle’s preservation.

• £200 a year for the use of a children’s play area in Poundbury, Dorset, and rental payments from the Scouts.

The duchy said it was also reviewing the rents it charges state schools.

Posted by ButIDigress79

9 comments

  1. Charging schools and charities is diabolical. I had no idea they were doing this. Absolutely disgusting. Aren’t lighthouses considered essential?

  2. I feel like William may have inherited some problems with the Duchy. Charles had some questionable business practices in my opinion and glad William is steering things in a way better direction now

  3. It’s ridiculous this was being charged, although I partially am surprised that they’re not much higher (I would’ve expected far more than 3k over 20 years or 15k over 50 years given the state of public contracts these days – that’s genuinely one day’s worth of some consulting contracts!).

    I hope that the whole organisation is having a good look and repositioning of who and what it is. I grew up in the area and we used to think of them as ‘good landlords’ and they got to know the families well, but I’m out of touch with how that is now and it seems they’ve lost their way.

  4. Gosh so it turns out the people who went on and on about how they just had rules that meant they just had to profiteer from charities and public services were talking total bollocks and it turns out it was possible to change this..

  5. GOOD. let’s applaud growth and learning and changing, instead of digging your heels in to avoid admitting you’ve been something wrong.

  6. Really happy that William is listening to criticism and making much needed changes. He’s done this quite a bit lately. Makes me have a lot of hope for how he’ll be as King.

  7. Shaming works! Truly the best tool we normies have to force the royals to put a feet back into reality.

  9. Well, well, well…

    Look at Willy throwing his father under the bus for earning rent money from charities.

    Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely disgusting that the richest people in the land were/are charging charities and schools (I note that the rent charged to schools is “under review”). Good on Willy if he truly is putting a stop to that.

    But it’s pretty telling that it’s been presented as the “new guy” coming in and putting an end to the abuse that would have been happening under his own father.

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